Protestors Rally in Washington, D.C. in Solidarity with Wisconsin State Employees (Photos)

Wednesday, over a thousand protestors
gathered in Washington, D.C. in front of the
D.C. offices of the Wisconsin and Ohio
governors as part of a worker solidarity rally.
NFFE joined students, workers, and union
members from several states in a show of
support for workers who are battling to retain
their collective bargaining rights in
Wisconsin. The battle cries were loud, as
people protested Governor Scott Walker’s (R)
attempts to crush unions in his state.

Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D-MD)
addressed the crowd offering her support and
solidarity with the brave workers gathered in
Madison and state capitals across the Midwest.
With gatherings such as these happening around
the country, union leaders are in lockstep to
fight this battle until the bitter
end.

“I am
honored to stand here with my union brothers
and sisters today,” said NFFE National
Organizing Coordinator Brittany Paull. “We
are all willing to share in the sacrifices for
difficult times such as these, but Governor
Walker is not seeking to balance the budget, he
is seeking to bust the
unions.”

She
continued, “Unions play an essential role in
bettering the lives of workers around the
world. To deny Wisconsinites the ability to
collectively bargain would be a tragedy that
would cripple the middle class, and send this
working people everywhere backwards.”

Public
sector employees have taken hits to their pay,
benefits, and pensions in the past year, and
now Governor Walker wants to take away the last
equalizer in the fight for workers rights –
their unions. When workers stand together and
make their voice heard, there is nothing or no
one that can take away their hard-won rights.